Catching a Drift, part 1

The days that made me, outnumber the days that broke me.

Working from home, a lot has changed since starting the freelance lifestyle nearly two years ago. At 25, I have the freedom to achieve certain long/short term goals. Timing is everything.

Generally there are barriers between you and your ultimate ambitions. There is no guarantee of reward or relief from responsibility. In a fast-paced industry, you have to make a positive impression.

Although running a business can get lonely, I'm fortunate to have a strong support network of people who steer me in the right direction. They are relatives, neighbours, mentors, advisors, tutors, collaborators, fellow animators, classmates, twitter followers, LinkedIn connections, artists from other fields and influencers. I owe them so much for opening up the world to me.

Animators spend most of their time indoors, so I allow myself to explore the much wider offline world – via the M4 or M1. For business, leisure or both I try to make every little solo excursion count, while making sure it's not too much of a strain. I can handle most trips alone.

I commit a few hours each day to sharpen my communication skills. It's tricky because someone is always one step ahead. I have observed that I struggle to cope with change, and spread myself thin attending simultaneous events. Something like drawing keeps me focused. Walk cycle animation practice, for instance, is good exercise but even that can be hard to break away from. Oh god, that was hard. Not as hard as Everybody's Music though.

There are not enough hours in the day. You make thorough plans to ensure things fall into place, but it's not always smooth sailing. Take a wrong turn, make a compromise and the City - for all its attractions - can chew you up and spit you out.

Temptations: Godzilla + ice cream

It takes time to recover from failure, which can help you reevaluate and redress problems, while bringing something to the table.

In Creative Cat FX's second year, I'm pleased to say I've taken more risks, pushed whimsy and made some breakthroughs. For me personally it was the most cathartic, and not unlike the darker, edgier, more involved sequel, with the world building, the raising of the stakes, tough choices, sparking new relationships, and mysterious figures from the not too distant past.

You can learn so much from real world experiences in a single day than one semester.